


Madevinia Aridosa

by Andrin_rin



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Academy Era, Alien Flora & Fauna, Flowers, Kissing, Kissing in the Rain, Koschei is back to throwing things, M/M, Sneaking Out, kind of, plus Gallifreyan biology, sneaking out of the Academy, soft, watch me make up Gallifreyan geography as I go along
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:14:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23619598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andrin_rin/pseuds/Andrin_rin
Summary: Theta wakes Koschei up at night and they sneak out of the Academy together.
Relationships: The Doctor | Theta Sigma/The Master | Koschei (Doctor Who: Academy Era), The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Madevinia Aridosa

**Author's Note:**

> I was reading up on Gallifreyan flora the other day for another fic I'm working on at the moment and I found something that inspired this fic. 
> 
> I have no idea if I got the facts right, but I hope you enjoy it either way ;)

It’s the middle of the night and Koschei is asleep in his and Thetas dorm room, when he is suddenly woken up by a hand on his shoulder and a whispered voice calling his name.

„Theta?“ Grumbling he turns over, still half asleep. „That you?“ He mumbles still not fully awake.

„Who else? Get up Kos. I need to show you something!“

„It’s the middle of the night Thete, just let me sleep!“

„It won’t be long“ Theta claims and continues poking Koschei’s shoulder. When he tries to ignore him, Theta pulls his blanked away and off the bed and starts trying to shake him awake. Koschei makes an attempt to kick him off his bed, but Theta stays persistent and clings to him like a leech, until Koschei gives up.

„We have class in the morning, Thete. And Borusa is gonna skin you alive ifyou fall asleep again in class tomorrow.“ He desperately tries.

„Then we’ll just skip class.“

„You can’t keep skipping class forever. Seriously Borusa is gonna-“

„Ohhh just shut up, Kosch!“ Theta huffs, the eye roll basically audible in his voice. „Just come with me. I promise it’s going to be worth it.“

Putting up with Thetas shenanigans is a lot, and Koschei cursed him and the situations he got him into, many many times before, but yes. It is _always_ worth it. _Theta_ is always worth it.

Spending time with Theta mostly guarantees trouble, but also the highest amount of fun possible. Who is he even kidding. He already knew his answer. _By the Other_ , he can’t even remember the last time he said _no_ to Theta.

„Fine.“ he groans into his pillow andcan instantly hear Theta fall off the bed next to him, as he jumps up in excitement. Then he pushes himself up from the bed and starts gathering his clothing. Theta is already dressed jumping onto his own bed enthusiastically. How had Koschei not woken up from him getting dressed earlier? He isn’t wearing his robes, just the black clothes they usually wear underneath and an informal warm jacket, that isn’t part of their academy robes, that he must have smuggled in, months ago.

While Koschei gathers his clothes Theta keeps jumping up and down on his bed excitedly. It is still dark in their room so Koschei can’t see his face, but he just knows that he’s grinning. He wishes for a moment that it wasn’t so dark. Wishes he could see Theta smile. But while he can’t see too well in the dark, he can definitely hear.

„Stop jumping around!“ He hisses. „You’re making too much noise. Someone will hear.“

„Pfft no-one ever catches us, when we sneak out at night.“ Theta is clearly unimpressed by Koschei’s concerns, but at least he had the courtesy to whisper and as Koschei threw a sock in his face he stopped jumping.

„They did last year! And that got us months of detention!“

„You don’t have to throw stuff at me though!“ If the it would be a little brighter inside, he is sure he would see Theta pouting.

„Ew is that used? _Kosch_!“ There is a soft thump, as the Theta drops the sock to the floor.

„Of course its used! It’s yours! You threw it at my bed yesterday!“ That shuts him up.

Koschei ignores Thetas grumbling and quickly dresses in almost the same clothes as him, but puts on his red coat that is part of the academy uniform. When he slips on his shoes Theta is already out the door. Koschei has to run after him.

On their way outside they both kept quiet. Koschei follows Theta through the darkness, on a path they’ve walked on countless of times. Theta was the one to scout out all the barely used hallways and corridors, the doors and windows that are still open at this time, the spots at the inner courtyard from where you can’t be seen by any windows, the places in which you can hide the fastest in case a teacher makes the rounds.

It is, by now, an almost foolproof route and they almost never get caught. Only one single time to be exact and that didn’t mess up their quote too badly. Still, they haven’t been out at night since that happened and Koschei's hearts flutter in his chest a little bit, as he follows Theta.

They exit the Academy building through a window that leads out to the mountain side, into the opposite direction of the nearby city and can be opened from the outside as easily as it can befrom the inside. Koschei quietly closes it behind them.

Outside the air is fresh and damp, and soft rain is falling around them. It’s wetting the rocks of Mount Cadon, making a monotone drumming sound on the grass and the tiny flowers, that neither of them can see in the darkness, but both know coat this side of the mountain in blue. In the daylight it makes for a truly beautiful sight, but lately both of them barely have had the time to come out here and see.

„It’s raining Theta, we’re going to be soaking wet in a few minutes. We should just go back inside. Come back some other time.“

„No, nooo Koschei, don’t go back inside.“ Theta pulls him back as he makes advances to climb back in through the window. „The rain is exactly what we need. Come on.“

Koschei pulls his coat tighter around himself trying to keep the clothes underneath at least remotely dry, sighs in exasperation and lets himself be pulled over the rocks and sand by Thetas hand on his sleeve.

„We won’t be long I promise. Just to the edge of the desert and then we can go back.“

It’s at least a fifteen minute long walk to the bottom of the mountain where rock and grass slowly start to fully give space to sand and to the border where even the little blue flowers don’t grow anymore. Maybe even longer than that, in the darkness and with the rain making the ground beneath their feet slippery. He doesn’t tell Theta that though. Just follows him down the mountain.

After five minutes both of them are already soaking wet, but Theta doesn’t seem to be bothered by it at all. He just keeps his grip on Koschei’s sleeve pulling him enthusiastically down the mountain.

„Do you remember the last time it rained around here?“ Theta asks him as he slows down to match Koschei’s steps.

„The last time it rained? Here? Must have been years ago. Or at least I haven’t actually witnessed it in years.“

„I think we’ve missed the last few times, because of tests. That’s why I really wanted you to see _this_ time.“

„It’s just rain Thete.“

„It’s rain in the _desert_. That’s a totally different thing. You’ll see. Just trust me. It’ll be worth it.“

Rain in the desert. Theta is right, Koschei never really would have seen that. In comparison to Theta, who grew up in the drylands, who basically spent his whole childhood living in the desert, Koschei grew up in the hills of Mount Perdition, surrounded by his fathers lands and fields of red grass. And when they are together, in the academy, there barely is time to sneak out, and when they _do,_ most of the time they sneak out to visit the city and don’t go into the opposite direction, to the desert.

So no. Koschei has been in the desert only few times in his life and he certainly hasn’t been there before, when it was raining. He wonders what’s supposed to be so different about it. As far as he’s concerned it’s just sand with nothing interesting to see for miles. Plus now they are getting wet. What a bonus.

They reach the spot where the last few spots of grass disappear completely and make room forsand and rocks. Well right now the sand is much less sand and would probably be more considered mud. Koschei tries to avoid the muddiest spots and puddles, but Theta waltzes right through them not minding at all. At least the rain is starting to stop. Water is only drizzling softly down on them now.

„Theta, seriously.“ He tries again a few minutes later. „We’re just getting soaked out here. What-“

„Shush. Were here just stand here and wait okay. Just wait.“

Theta grabs his arm again and turns him around so that they are standing in from of each other. So close. Standing this close to him he can see Thetas face even in the dark, the dim orange glow of the sky above them, even covered in clouds, just spending enough light for them to see. Koschei slips his hands under the fabric of thetas wet jacket and settled them on the others slender hips.

„Wait for what?“

„You’ll see.“ Thetas voice is so unbelievably soft when he whispers the words and Koschei is sure he can feel his breath on his skin. He finds himself wishing the clouds would clear up so he could see Thetas face a little better. His wet hair. The exited glow in his eyes.

But it’s too dark and Koschei is cold and wet and even though he can feel Thetas body heat against himself through their wet clothes, he’s slightly shivering and is starting to realize just how unbelievably tired he is. And then just when he opens his mouth to tell Theta that he’s sorry, but he just can’t stay out here much longer, that he has class tomorrow he doesn’t really want to miss and that the only thing they’re gonna get from this night, is a cold, so can they just please go back. Just then, the words already on his lips, just before he gets them out, the rain fully stops and it happens.

It happens very slowly at first but Koschei notices.

It’s just a slight shift in the lighting around them, and at first Koschei thinks that the clouds must be clearing up letting the orange light from above come through, but when he looks up at the sky it’s still too dark to be the source of light. And then suddenly it’s happening very fast.

All around them little flecks of bright light on the desert floor, shimmering and glinting bright white and orange and red in the darkness. It’s the flowers, Koschei realizes after a few moment of confused awe. The flowers. Red velvety petals opening up, one after the other, their pollen stems glowing and shining coating the desert surrounding them in a light.

The whole desert ground seems to be covered in the velvety red flowers, each one of them so close to the other, the sand and rocks they’re growing on, are barely visible anymore. With awe Koschei realizes it’s not just the pollen stems that are glowing but the pollen itself. And now that the rain has stopped, and the flowers are opening up, the pollen flies free from the flowers and into the chill air of the night coating the scenery in warm light.

When he turned back to look at Thetas face for a short moment, he is surprised how well he can see him now. He is grinning his brightest grin and look on his face is unbelievably smug. Of course it is.

„Told you it would be worth it.“ He whispers into Koschei’s ear, still grinning, and slides his arms around the others back. „They grow very fast. Come out, when it’s been raining. And then when it stops, they open up and release their pollen.“

„They’re luminescent?“

„Yes. Their Petals and Pollen stems. And the pollen itself. It’s beautiful isn’t it?“ Theta asks him and lets his gaze wander over the scenery his eyes are glowing in excitement.

„You’re right. It’s beautiful.“ Koschei answers him, but he doesn’t have his gaze fixed on the flowers and the light. Instead he’s looking directly at Theta. His hair is still soaking wet sticking to his head, and Koschei thinks he looks absolutely beautiful in the orange light the flowers shine onto them. Suddenly Koschei is very glad he followed Theta out here tonight.

_It’s gonna be wort it._

It’s always worth it with Theta.

And it definitely has been worth it tonight.Not just because they got to see the flowers open up. Koschei looks at the exited expression on Thetas face and the way his eyes follow the luminescent pollen flying through the night and something warm flutters inside his chest. And suddenly it seems as if he can’t feel the cold and the rain in his shoes and under his clothes anymore. All there is now, is Thetas warmth and the way his smile is shining brighter than the light from the flowers around them and Koschei can’t tear his eyes away from him.

Theta takes his eyes off the flowers, to look back at Koschei. Pollen still swirling all around them, Koschei leans forward and kisses him. Slips his hands tighter around Thetas hips, to pull his warm body closer, feeling his warm lips on his own.

Only surprised for a short second Theta presses himself agains him, gripping Koschei’s tighter himself, slowly kissing back, leaning farther into the kiss. Koschei holds him as closely as he can and he wishes, that he never has to let go ever again. Wishes that he never has to let go of this moment, while he forgets how cold and tired he is as he leans into the kiss.

Theta tastes of salt and rain and of the desert air and Koschei never wants to taste anything else ever again.

When Theta leans back and breaks off the kiss, they are still standing so close to each other, Koschei can feel his warm breath on his wet skin. For a moment they just stand there like this, looking into each others eyes and Theta strokes his thumb across Koschei’s cheekbone.

„You still want to go back?“ A quiet whisper, their foreheads touching.

„Never.“ _Let’s stay here forever. Let's stay like this forever._

_Promise me we’ll stay like this forever._

But Koschei doesn’t need to say any of it, because Theta already knows. So all he does, is lean in, and he kisses him again. slowly and warm and desperate and he doesn’t want it to ever stop. Theta is his fire and warmth in the cold darkness and Koschei holds him close. Holds him close against his own body as they kiss. So so close.

Yes, he thinks. With Theta it will always be worth it. No matter how much detention they get in. No matter where to, or how far they sneak off together.

No matter what. No matter when. Theta will always be worth the trouble.

** Madevinia aridosa **

_The Madevinia aridosa was a type of flower that grew in the deserts of Gallifrey. It was small with velvety red petals with ragged edges. In the centre was a bioluminescent light. They had a very short lifespan and bloomed profusely after rain._

Source: https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Madevinia_aridosa

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh I really hope you enjoyed it ;)
> 
> (The article I found, describing the flower, was suuuper short so I added a little bit to make it fit my story better.) 
> 
> Comments, as always, are highly appreciated <3


End file.
